7 February 2024

Courtship season is underway at the Pitt peregrine nest where Ecco and his mate Carla are cementing their pair bond. Apparently they are not the only peregrines in the area.

On 26 January I received news from Charles Bier who was instrumental in establishing the peregrine nestboxes at Gulf Tower and Pitt. Charles saw a pair in East Liberty.

I happened to be in East Liberty on this past January 12^th, and I happened to notice 2 peregrines flying into the top of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.  One of the birds landed high on the church tower and the other one did, or flew behind the tower at the same altitude.  I do not know that this was a “pair”, but they were behaving within that context, and at this time of the year they would be focusing on high ledges. 

So, I am wondering if a pair is known to be using this church, or if possibly it could have even been the Cathedral of Learning pair having a lunchtime outing to East Liberty.  I quickly measured out  the direct distance between the CoL and this church in East Liberty and it came out to about 1.9-miles.  Back in the day, this distance would have been regarded as too close for comfort; re: 2 pairs in close proximity (that was an initial concern for the Gulf Tower and CoL pairs, which were about 2.3-miles apart).  In any case, there are many factors involved and I doubt this distance would be a problem for them.

— email from Charles Bier, 26 January 2024

I replied that the Pitt peregrines generally stay close to home to defend their territory at this time of year, so maybe it’s a new pair.

Then, outside my window on Sunday 4 February, I saw a peregrine flying hard toward Shadyside from the direction of the Cathedral of Learning. This falcon was using territorial flappy flight to make itself obvious as it approached another peregrine of the same size — likely both females — circling up in the vicinity of Negley Avenue and Baum Boulevard. This intersection is about halfway between the Cathedral of Learning and East Liberty Presbyterian Church. It might be a boundary line.

The peregrines did not fight. Instead they both circled up apart from each other and went their separate ways.

This is the time of year when peregrines with a less than satisfactory nest site try to claim a better one. The Cathedral of Learning is the best site in town and Carla is new there(*) so of course the challengers are testing to see if she’s up to snuff.

Perhaps that explains why she was so distracted while Ecco was courting her on Saturday 3 February. Though the courtship session lasted 6 minutes, Carla spent 3 minutes looking at the sky. To save you time, I chopped out those (boring) three minutes with a fade.

Has the territorial boundary been settled? Are there challengers on the horizon?

Keep up with all the action on the National Aviary Falconcam at the University of Pittsburgh.

(*) Carla arrived at the Cathedral of Learning in late May last year. She was banded Black/Blue S/07 at her birthplace in Fort Wayne, Indiana in May 2020.

1 February 2024

Today the National Aviary’s new peregrine falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning has begun live streaming for the 2024 nesting season.  If you’ve followed the stream in prior years you’ll find that this new camera is great for watching Ecco and Carla as they court and raise a family. Click here and scroll down to watch.

Last September the 10 year old camera died after limping for years with a broken microphone and infrared light. It took us a while to notice (no one was watching) so the timing was fortunate. We had three months to get advice on cameras, choose a model, install it and learn how to use it before streaming began.

Long time peregrine fan Kim Getz coordinated the project for Pitt I.T. and it all came together on installation day. Lighthouse Electric removed the old equipment, ran wires, and installed the new microphone and camera. Kim volunteered to clean the nestbox and re-secure the green perches with zip ties. She gives a thumbs up to the snapshot camera when she’s done. Thankfully the peregrines did not harass the crew.

The new camera is quite an improvement over the old one with sharper focus, better reach, and of course audio and infrared night light. The nest view is narrower because it’s a tight space and this camera is about 2 inches closer due to the length of the wall mount arm. (All the new cameras have longer arms nowadays.)

Though we cannot change the camera view when the adult peregrines are present — it spooks them! — the presets in the slideshow below will come in handy when the young explore the gully, the nestrail, and the nestbox roof. The slides begin with Ecco preening on the green perch. Kim ran the camera through its paces when no peregrines were around.

What can we expect on camera this season? Last year was a disappointment with no peregrine eggs and chicks because the female, Morela, became egg bound and died in mid May. Two days after Morela disappeared a banded female peregrine, Carla (Black/Blue S/07, Fort Wayne, IN, 2020), arrived on site and has been there ever since. Late May was too late to nest in 2023 so this year will be Carla’s first nesting season.

Carla and Ecco have been courting and bowing since they met last year and are intensifying their attachment this winter. They bowed and touched beaks last month in these snapshots taken before streaming began. When you watch them in full screen you’ll see tiny bones on the gravel and be able to read Carla’s bands.

Thank You to everyone who helped make this project a success, especially …

• The National Aviary and their Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill, whose commitment to broadcasting the Pitt peregrines’ nest has provided us with a new camera.
• Pitt I.T. who assigned Kim Getz to manage the project and provided additional tech assistance. Kim’s knowledge, dedication, and connections within the University made everything flow smoothly.
• Pitt’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences and Rory Carroll, sponsors of the falconcam within the University.
• Charles Eldermire at Cornell Bird Cams for advice on camera models and Cornell’s experience with their features.

Click here and scroll down to watch the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

It’s Peregrine Season!

p.s. For those of you following my southern Africa trip, today is the day I leave Africa on a 33.5 hour journey home (flights + layovers). I am spending most of my time in the upper troposphere.

14 January 2024

As we anticipate peregrine nesting season at University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, let’s take a look back at last year’s highlights. Well actually “low lights.” The nest was not successful last year but the reason why gives us hope for great things for 2024.

Pitt Peregrine Highlights in 2023 (click the links for more detail)

The year began at the Cathedral of Learning with Ecco and Morela, the resident male and female. We hoped for a first egg around St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March.

In early February Morela seemed distracted, obviously checking the sky during a courtship session on the 6th. The distraction continued.

By 21 March Morela had not laid an egg, yet she disappeared for four days so I wondered if there was a female challenger for the nest. When Morela returned on 25 March the intruder did not stay away. For 4-5 weeks Morela tried without success to lay an egg.

By May Morela was egg bound and increasingly ill. She disappeared forever on 12 May.

On 14 May a banded female peregrine, new to the Cathedral of Learning, showed up on camera. Carla hatched at the Indiana Michigan Power Center (IMPC) Building in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2020 and flew here on her own. Carla was named when she was banded (Black/Blue S/07).

Though it was too late to start a family in late May, Carla and Ecco have strengthened their pair bond ever since. This 4 minute video from 30 July, sped up to double-time, shows the pair bowing for an extended period. Notice that there was no sound on the video last year. I promise there will be sound this year!

Carla will nest for the first time this spring as we watch her on the National Aviary’s Falconcam that will begin streaming on 1 February.

Until the stream begins, view the nest from the CL snapshot page and get in practice ahead of time. Click here to learn how to tell Carla and Ecco apart.

(credits are in the captions)